Fighting with Allies
by OnlyPureBlood
Summary: Draco and Astoria have been initiated into the ranks of the Dark Lord when Draco receives a letter from the Order of the Phoenix asking him to take up a mission that could bring down Voldemort. Lot's of Draco/Astoria, please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. **

**A/N: This is a DH disregard. Astoria and Draco are entering their 7****th**** year at Hogwarts. Harry Potter and the "gang" are also still at Hogwarts and are still working tirelessly to destroy Tom Riddle. **

_I pack my case. I check my face.__  
><em>_I look a little bit older.__  
><em>_I look a little bit colder.__  
><em>_With one deep breath, and one big step, I move a little bit closer.__  
><em>_I move a little bit closer.__  
><em>_For reasons unknown._

**For Reasons Unknown; The Killers**

**Astoria POV**

_"Avada Kedavra!" a sickening flash of green lit up a small room, then an innocent looking young girl was lying on the floor, her hands limp on her stomach. Another girl runs into the room and seeing the lifeless body screams and clutches it in her arms. Cackling laughter bounces off the walls._

_ "You!" the girl screeches, pointing her wand at a man and woman who bore a striking resemblance to her and the girl in her lap, "You killed her! Daphne, your own daughter! How could you? H-how could you?" The girl held the older girl's body to her as hot tears ran tracks down her flushed cheeks. "Daph, come on. Wake up, Daph, wake up!" Hugging Daphne's body even closer, the young girl kneeled on the ground and sobbed with a grief that no child should know. She stroked Daphne's raven black hair, so different from her own blonde and stifled her sobs until they were just small gasps. The door to the nursery opened and framed in the light was a woman with black, curly hair. She inhaled sharply and quickly walked to the mourning girl's side._

_ "Come now, Astoria, we mustn't show weakness. You are a Greengrass, your sister is a Greengrass-"_

_ "Was. Was a Greengrass." Astoria looked up at Bellatrix with a cold glint in her bright green eyes and took a deep breath. "Don't be silly, Miss Bella. She is dead now." Astoria turned her youthful eyes back to her elder sister and gazed at her tenderly. _

_Bellatrix LeStrange was shocked to hear such formal, grown up words come out of such a young, naïve mouth. Nodding slightly, Bellatrix grabbed Astoria's hand and pulled her up, Daphne slid out of the fierce grip that Astoria had had on her. Gently pulling her away from the crime, Bellatrix left the smaller girl without once looking back. _

Sitting straight up in bed, Astoria Greengrass instinctively grabbed her dragon heartstring wand and held it out in front of her. She slumped back into her multitude of excess pillows when she realized that her wariness came from the dream she had just endured. Unlike so many dreams she had experienced, this one did not make her wake up with screams razing her throat and tears flooding down her face. Now, ten years later, Astoria seemed almost immune to death and pain.

She pushed her bed covers aside and slipped her feet into silk slippers. Astoria Greengrass regarded her reflection in the intricate mirror that stood in one corner of the room that she was occupying. Her blonde hair had grown long and now touched just below her waist, it was naturally pin straight and highlighted with lighter, natural almost white streaks. She sighed and pulled it up into a messy bun and then padded over to the mahogany wardrobe where she pulled out a pair of khaki slacks and a simple forest green, long-sleeved blouse. She entered the bathroom and began filling the enormous tub with different colored waters which, in turn created different sized bubbles and scents. But on second thought, she turned the flowing water off and climbed into the shower instead. After cleaning up, she muttered a few spells to dry her hair and then tugged her clothes on. Astoria scrutinized her appearance one more time and then said a few spells to hide the long scar that traveled from above her eyebrow to below her right eye. Sighing to herself, she walked out of the room and down an extravagant staircase and into the gaze of Draco Malfoy.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Astoria." Draco's eyes traveled up and down Astoria's tall body and then returned to her fierce emerald eyes.<p>

"Good morning, Draco. I trust you slept well?"

"Yes, thank you. And yourself?"

Rather than answering, Astoria just nodded slightly and began walking to a door located behind Draco.

"Come now, Astoria. You mustn't treat your host that way." Draco's voice carried to Astoria and she could almost hear his smirk in it.

"You're quite correct, I'm sorry. Would you be ever so generous to forgive me of my trespasses? I would be eternally grateful, _Master _Malfoy." Astoria turned and raised one eyebrow at Draco's smug features. Suddenly, they both burst into raucous bouts of laughter. Clutching her side, Astoria walked over to the boy in front of her and flung her arms around his neck.

"I missed you so much, Draco." She murmured into his neck.

"I missed you too, Tori." He responded equally softly.

"Are you ready for today?" Astoria questioned. Draco's relaxed body suddenly turned stiff and he removed his arms from around her waist. Astoria pulled away and stared at him in surprise.

"I suppose that I am as ready as I'll ever be. We should get to breakfast, my Mother will be missing us. Not to mention Aunt Bellatrix." Without waiting for a response, Draco turned sharply and headed through the white and gold door. Astoria followed and was soon in a room that housed a small table with croissants and tea on it.

"Ah, Miss Greengrass. We were wondering when you would join us." The statement came from Narcissa Malfoy, who was currently nibbling on a plain croissant.

"My apologies, Mistress Malfoy, I did not realize how late the hour is." Astoria bowed her head in respect and stared at the marble floor.

"Not to worry, Tori! Draco was almost as late as you; he just walked in a few moments ago." Astoria looked up to find her guardian, Bellatrix LeStrange, motioning to Draco who in turn bowed his head, hiding a smirk.

"Thank you for understanding, Miss Bella. I appreciate it very much. May I say that you look very lovely this morning?"

"No need for flattery, my dear, at least not when I am in your presence. Merlin knows that you are much more beautiful than me!" Bellatrix cackled a laugh and then gestured to Draco once again. "Right, Draco?"

Draco coughed on the chocolate scone that he had just taken a bite out of and then cleared his throat.

"You're quite right, Aunt Bella." He slyly winked at Astoria who stopped herself from rolling her eyes just in time. At that moment the door behind her slammed open and Lucius Malfoy stormed into the small dining area.

"There you two are! What are you still doing in here, eating breakfast! You must come with me at this moment if you are to be ready to be presented to the Dark Lord in time." Without looking back to see if Draco and Astoria were following, Lucius Malfoy strode out of the room and down a long, dimly lit hallway. Astoria rose from her high-backed chair and quickly followed the man out. After a few steps, Astoria felt Draco's presence beside her and she quickly relaxed as she prepared herself to be made ready for the Dark Lord.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Well hello there! This is my attempt at a FanFiction after my last one… dwindled to a saddening abandonment. I have a plot planned out for this one and I'm much more excited to write it because it is Draco/Astoria which is my favorite type of FanFiction. I realize that this chapter is a bit short and I hope to lengthen my chapters as the story continues. Beginnings are very difficult for me so please bear with me. Thank you and please review it and if you have any suggestions for me, I welcome them.**

**OnlyPureBlood, over and out :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.**

_I could feel it go down__  
><em>_Bittersweet, I could taste in my mouth__  
><em>_Silver lining the cloud__  
><em>_Oh and I,__I wish that I could work it out_

_-The Hardest Part; Coldplay_

**Draco POV:**

The very moment that Draco walked into the round room at the end of the hallway, he was whisked away from Astoria and shoved none too gently through a door into another, slightly smaller round room. Half of the walls were covered in mirrors that kept shouting out compliments to Draco. "You look fabulous today, Master Malfoy!" "I love that shirt on you; it makes your eyes really pop out." "I could just EAT you, Master Malfoy!"

Ignoring the obnoxious mirrors, Draco walked over to the one chair in the entire room. It was located in front of a slightly feminine vanity that made Draco want to do push-ups and fight someone just to show his masculinity. He was startled out of his thoughts by a high, female voice.

"S'il vous plaît, sit down, Monsieur Malfoy. Ze vanity von't bite." A tiny woman with a very strong French accent was pointing towards the chestnut table with a determined look on her face. For a moment, all that Draco could do was stare at the woman. Woman wouldn't even be the correct term; she was just a girl, by the looks of her. She had her hair curled in perfect corkscrews that were pulled up into two little pigtails. Her red, rosebud lips were pursed as if she was trying to look older than she actually was. Draco looked at her clothes and realized that she was wearing a simple pink dress. Just like a young child would wear.

"Excuse me, but how old are you?" He could hear the superiority coming through his voice and he almost winced.

"I am eight years old, Monsieur Malfoy. Now, sit down. Vee need to begin on your preparations."

Shocked, but compliant, Draco walked over to the completely feminine piece of furniture and sat down on the ivory cushioned chair. The little girl immediately went to work on him. His hair, which was sticking up in every which way was combed down until it was smooth, flat and parted perfectly. The young girl saw the look of complete disgust and horror on Draco's face and instantly began working on a different style. After about ten more minutes she had his ash blonde hair styled in a fashionably messy way with some of his bangs hanging just above his eyebrows. The girl nodded her approval and then hopped down from the stool she had been standing on. Draco watched as she took something out from one of the drawers and watched with horror as she pulled a makeup brush out of another drawer.

"No."

"Excusez-moi, Monsieur Malfoy?"

"No. No makeup. Absolutely not. I forbid you to come near me with that infernal device."

The young girl just chuckled at him and shrugged her shoulders. "C'est votre perte. (1)"

Extremely relieved, Draco stood up from the vanity and took a few steps away from the dainty chair. The young beautician seemed impressed by his knowledge of what was to come next. The chair folded in on itself and slid under the vanity as the mirrors and drawers slowly transformed themselves into a tall wardrobe. As Draco had suspected, the doors opened to reveal only one set of pants, a dress shirt, and one set of robes. All black. Draco carefully slipped on all the pieces of clothing until he was fully dressed.

"Vhile you do look quite 'andsome in zose garments, Monsieur Malfoy, I 'ave been informed zat you are not allowed to vear full _noir_ in the presence of ze Dark Lord until you have been fully… initiated." The little girl snapped her fingers and the dress robes instantaneously turned a very dark green. The sleeves trimmed themselves with intricate designs made out of silver threading. Pulling a tiny wand from her sleeve, the young girl pointed at the robes and muttered an altering spell under breath. The robe sleeves began to slim down until they were only slightly larger than Draco's arms. He looked down at the eight year old girl holding a wand and surprised himself by keeping his face blank of emotion.

"What is your name?"

The girl looked up at him and smiled, "Cepheus."

"Cepheus? Meaning 'King'?"

Cepheus' smile turned into a slight grimace. "Yes, Monsieur Malfoy. And zere is no need to be shocked by it or even amused. If I am correct, your own name, Draconis, means 'Dragon'. Oui?"

"Yes." Draco looked sharply down at Cepheus but couldn't find it in his heart to threaten her for talking to him that way. Rather, he admired the courage that she held in her posture and voice.

"You are very young to be wielding that wand. Why do you have it?"

"For moi, it is perfectly legal. I vas cursed vhen I vas eight years old so zat I vould age normally mentally but vould stay trapped in mon adolescent body. Technically speaking, I am four hundred and seventy-five years old."

This time, Draco could not hold his emotions in check. He openly gaped at the seemingly young girl who was inspecting the shirt that he was wearing.

"Non, non, this vill not vork at all. _Verto gray _(2)" She swished her wand across his body and his shirt obtained a dark gray color. "Oui! _Parfaite_," Cepheus turned her face up to Draco's and smiled innocently. "Now it is time for your etiquette lessons."

"I hardly think that will be necessary, Cepheus. I am a _Malfoy, _I understand proper etiquette."

"Oui, but not in ze presence of ze Dark Lord, Monsieur Malfoy."

For a few seconds, Draco simply stared at the tiny woman in front of him. Then, slightly grudgingly, he nodded.

* * *

><p>Soon, Draco revealed to Cepheus that he could speak French fluently and he endured his entire lesson on proper social grace in the presence of the Dark Lord in rapid French. After an hour of training, the door opened and Draco was surprised to find his father standing in the frame.<p>

"Pardon me, Cepheus, but I need to speak with my son. Alone."

"Bien sûr, Maître Malfoy (3)".

Lucius Malfoy waited until the door had closed behind the small woman until he turned to his son. While his face held no emotion except for superiority over his son, his eyes were filled with pride and respect for the young man standing before him.

"What do you wish to discuss, Father?"

"I would only like to inform you that you shall be presented to the Dark Lord in front of his innermost circle of confidants and that you are gaining great honor today. You and Miss Greengrass are the youngest to be admitted to our circle of… servants. You will uphold our family name proudly by doing this and I expect no less than the most amount of service that you can give the Dark Lord. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Father. I promise that I will serve the Dark Lord to my fullest capabilities and that I will not fail you in upholding the Malfoy name."

"Good. Now you may go and see Miss Greengrass before the initiation begins. You have fifteen minutes."

Draco walked to the door and when he touched the cold metal of the handle he heard his father from behind him,

"Oh, and Draco?"

Draco turned to see his father smiling. "Yes, Father?"

"I am very proud of you."

"Thank you, Father."

* * *

><p>"Astoria," Draco softly called to the young lady who was sitting on a delicate stool with her back turned to him. She turned around and smiled up at the man in front of her.<p>

"Hello, Draco. Fancy seeing you here."

Draco looked at Astoria's grinning face with a mischievous light in his eyes. Her hair had been simply braided to the side in an elegant and beautiful way. A green barrette pinned her bangs back and brought the lightness of her hair out. She was wearing a strapless, dark brown gown that fitted her body perfectly. It flared out at the waste and the flimsy chiffon of her skirt was flecked with gold.

"No dress robes?"

"No, apparently the Dark Lord does not regard dress robes as a woman's garment. He prefers true dresses."

"You look beautiful," the comment was out of Draco's mouth before he could stop it and his pale cheeks flushed pink for a moment.

"Thank you, Draco. As do you, we shall make quite the impression, I believe," if Astoria was startled by the sincerity of Draco's compliment, she didn't show it.

"Yes, we shall," Draco smiled at Astoria and turned to the sound of a door opening.

"Monsieur Malfoy, your father vould like me to fetch you and ze Mademoiselle Greengrass for your ceremony." With that, Cepheus slipped out of the room.

Draco turned to Astoria and held out his arm to her.

"Ready, Mademoiselle Greengrass?" He smirked at her.

"Always, Monsieur Malfoy," she returned his smirk with a grin.

They walked down the dark hallway, arm in arm and turned the corner to face an intimidating set of white and gold double doors. Draco took a deep breath and pushed the doors open, a white light immediately gushed out of the doors and silhouetted the two teenagers against their fate.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**DUN. DUN. DUN. **

**Did you liiiike it? :) I did, I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it! What was your favorite part? Least favorite part? Improvements? Suggestions? Ideas? I'll take anything in a review :) **

**And I'm sorry that this chapter is kind of boring, I needed a filler chapter. Also, the lyrics at the beginning dont have much to do with anything in it… But I LOVE Coldplay, so that's why I used them. **

**A few more things! One, Cepheus really does mean "King" I'm not making that up. And I tried to make her sound as authentically French as possible. I'm not quite sure on how to actually do that… But I think it worked pretty well. And if you have any questions on what something meant, just message me or ask in a review *HINT HINT* **

**How about this, if enough of you review then I'll make an effort to make the next chapter 2,000 words long. Okay? Okey dokes. Please review!**

**OnlyPureBlood, over and out :)**

**(1) **"_**It's your loss"**_

_**(2) Turn gray**_

**(3) **"_**Of course, Master Malfoy"**_


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, I am not making money off of this story, almost all of the characters belong to JK Rowling, I own the plot.**

_Steal my heart and hold my tongue.__  
><em>

_I feel my time, my time has come.__  
><em>

_Let me in, unlock the door.__  
><em>

_I've never felt this way before._

_The wheels just keep on turning,_

_The drummer begins to drum,__  
><em>

_I don't know which way I'm going,__  
><em>

_I don't know which way I've come.  
><em>

_-'Til Kingdom Come; Coldplay_

**Astoria POV**

As the blinding light pierced Astoria's eyes, she felt unexpected butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. She and Draco's eyes slowly adjusted from the dimly lit corridor to the bright dining hall, and the butterflies in her stomach seemed to fly away. She had waited her whole life for this, ever since her mother and father murdered her older sister, Daphne. After than unfortunate day, Miss Bella took her in as her own child. Throughout Miss Bella's tutelage, Astoria began to understand the ways of the pureblood society in a way that her parents had never thought of teaching her. She learned that purebloods were superior to all other blood statuses and that she was better than all of the half-bloods and mudbloods that roamed the streets of London and beyond. Under Miss Bella's lessons, Astoria learned to love the Dark Lord, even though he was not fully living yet and that when he did come back, she would be his servant. When Miss Bella was taken away to Azkaban, Astoria decided that she was above being helped by anyone other than purebloods of her nature. She evaded the Ministy of Magic orphan worker's and rather forged her own way. She eventually came to reside in the Malfoy Manor. For three years she lived there and at the age of eleven, she and her now best friend, Draco Malfoy, set off to Hogwarts in order to gain proper schooling. Astoria had never imagined such a place could be so corrupted with mudbloods and half-bloods alike, it had disgusted her and Draco to no end. She was immediately sorted into Slytherin, alongside Draco and Blaise Zabini, her two best friends. This year would be her seventh, and final, year at Hogwarts and she would be entering it proudly wearing the Dark Mark.

Astoria looked down the long blood wood dining table that was centered in the middle of the enormous dining hall. Fourteen death eaters stared up at her and the Dark Lord himself scrutinized Astoria and Draco as if they were meat in a butcher's shop.

"Astoria Greengrass. Draco Malfoy. Welcome to my humble abode," Astoria's eyes flickered to Voldemort's; he spread his arms wide as if they had never seen the room before. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Lucius Malfoy stiffen slightly at the careless use of possession. Apparently Voldemort caught the glimmer of movement because he turned his head to Lucius and sneered at him. "You do believe that all of your belonging are mine too, don't you, Lucius? Or is your service beginning to fail?"

"N-no, my Lord," Lucius stared down into his lap. Narcissa put her small hand on his arm and gripped his wrist, willing him to stay strong.

"Good," was all that Voldemort replied with. "Now my children come to me. We will begin."

Astoria looked at Draco one more time and took a deep breath, then she let go of his strong arm, her anchor to calmness, and the walked to the Dark Lord on the right of the table. Remembering her lessons, Astoria lowered her eyes and bowed her neck a little to show respect.

"Good,"

Then Draco bowed to Voldemort and Astoria curtsied as gracefully as she could, she saw a small figure behind Voldemort's chair and realized that it was Cepheus. Voldemort's presence was not having a calming effect on her, as she had anticipated. Rather, she could feel her palms sweating and her knees shook slightly underneath her flowing gown. She could faintly hear Draco breathing on the Voldemort's other side, his breath coming in short, quiet gasps. Astoria knew that Draco was much more nervous than he had let on earlier. Her eyes turned, again, to Cepheus and she saw the little girl flash a small smile at her. Her bright blue eyes seemed to reassure Astoria that she would be alright. Astoria glimpsed a small boy that was also standing behind Voldemort's high backed chair. She recognized him as Scorpius, the six hundred year old man who was trapped inside his nine year old body. Scorpius had helped Astoria prepare for her appearance before Voldemort. He had been extremely kind and promised Astoria that everything would go perfectly as planned and that she had no need to worry.

"Draco, Astoria, do you agree to the terms of service that were explained to you earlier by Cepheus and Scorpius? Or do you find them unsatisfactory?" Astoria shivered and broke out of her reverie as the cold voice rang out through the large hall.

"I accept," they said in unison.

"You accept that in receiving the Dark Mark, you have pledged yourself to me and my wishes? That so long as you wear the black robes of a Death Eater that I am in command of you and you must obey my every whim?"

"I accept," they said, again in unison.

"You accept and confess that in your eyes, mudbloods and half-bloods hold no worth in this world? You accept that purebloods are the only acceptable blood status and that you will do everything in your power to maintain a society that is filled only with purebloods?"

"I accept and confess," this time Astoria spoke alone.

"Speak up, Draco, I cannot hear you," the cold voice now held a slight threat in it.

"I-I accept and confess, My Lord," Draco finally replied.

"Good, I was beginning to worry," Voldemort's chilling laugh echoed throughout the grand hall. Most of the Death Eater's began to laugh too, all but Lucius, Narcissa and Cepheus. Suddenly Voldemort's cackle stopped, as did all of the Death Eater's.

"Now, my children, it must be proven to me that you will abide by my every command. You will prove to me that you can give _and _take pain. Draco, crucio Astoria."

"My Lord?"

"Crucio! You insolent child, you know the spell now do it."

"Yes, My Lord," Astoria saw Draco turn to her and a look of regret filled his eyes.

"_Crucio_" Draco barely whispered the incantation.

Suddenly, Astoria fell to the ground and writhed and moaned on the harsh marble floor.

"You have to mean it, Draco!"

"_CRUCIO!_" Draco's voice was filled with hate and malevolence.

Astoria once again flailed on the ground but this time she let out a high piercing scream. Voldemort's red eyes gleamed with joy. Again and again Astoria screamed in pain until her throat was dry and it felt like sandpaper was being rubbed on the inside of her esophagus every time she opened her mouth. Yet, the sound still echoed around the room and entered the mind of every death eater present. They all shuddered slightly; they were used to hearing screams, but not screams that were purely pain. All of the other cries had been infused with fear, but not Astoria's.

"Good, you may stop now."

Draco lowered his wand and Astoria abruptly stopped moving. She just shivered slightly on the floor. After a few moments she pushed herself up and stood as if nothing had just happened. She straightened her gown and brushed a few stray hairs out of her face. Her green eyes met Draco's silver and she detected a hint of respect in them.

"Your turn, my dear," Voldemort's soft voice floated up to her ear.

"_C-crucio. Crucio!_" Her voice gained strength as she calmed down more. As she watched Draco gasp and grab ahold of the side of the table, she understood how he had not been able to torture her the first time. "_Crucio!_" Suddenly Draco fell to his knees let out a yell so loud that the Death Eater next to him jumped. For what seemed like hours but could have been minutes, Astoria tortured Draco relentlessly. When Voldemort finally commanded her to stop, Astoria could barely restrain herself from running to Draco's side to help him. He stood up and his eyes met hers again, this time, she could see no respect in their glimmering depths. Draco quickly brushed his fringe out of his eyes and straightened his robes.

"You have proved yourselves wonderfully to me, now you may receive the utmost honor of my followers." Voldemort gestured to Draco and Astoria at the same time. They walked over to his chair and held out their bare left arms. His eyes glinting with pleasure, Voldemort pressed his index and middle finger to their arms and murmured a spell,

"_Brand __eos __malum et __corruptio (1)_"

Astoria gasped as she felt and watched her skin burn away and then turn black. The skin on her once flawless forearm now bore the brand of a Death Eater. She bit her lower lip, as she felt the pain of the burn, so hard that she tasted blood. Then, Voldemort twirled and slashed his wand so that Astoria and Draco's own robes turned into the shadow black robes of a Death Eater.

"You are now Death Eater's my children,"

"Thank you, My Lord, I will serve you well." Draco and Astoria both bowed their heads once more and turned to leave.

"I should hope," came Voldemort's reply, his voice filled with malice.

Once they reached the doors, Astoria looked down the dark red table once more. She saw Miss Bella who had tears silently streaming down her face and a look of complete joy plastered in her eyes and on her mouth. She met the eyes of Voldemort and repressed a shiver. Turning back to Draco, she forgot all of her manners and slipped her hand into his. Surprisingly, he laced his fingers with hers and squeezed them gently. Astoria looked up at his face and was surprised to see an immense sadness present in his eyes. They turned and left the room, still gripping each other's hand like their life depended on it. As they walked through the door, Astoria's mark brushed Draco's and her breathing hitched as she felt the presence of uncontained evil.

**A/N:**

**Well then. How'd ya like it? I really didn't want to edit this chapter, but it only had about 1,000 words when I finished typing it the first time. So… I had to, because I promised I would try to write 2,000 words and I almost made it. I just had no idea what else to put in. **

**What was your favorite part? Least favorite? Suggestions? Ideas? Constructive criticism? Flames? I dunno, anything? **

**Oh, CEPHEUS! Bahaha, I love Cepheus, she's probably my favorite character, apart from Draco :) Also, if you think that Draco and Astoria are going to fast with the whole hand holding thing, don't think that. They're really, really good friends so it's entirely okay for them to hold hands. And I know that this chapter was probably kind of boring… But I liked writing it. Haha. **

**Please review! Thank you!**

**OnlyPureBlood, over and out :)**

**(1) **_**Brand them with evil and corruption**_


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter; it is fully JK Rowling's. The plot is all that is mine.**

_Roll away your stone I will roll away mine__  
><em>

_Together we can see what we will find__  
><em>

_Don't leave me alone at this time__  
><em>

_For I am afraid of what I will discover inside_

_Darkness is a harsh term don't you think__  
><em>

_Yet it dominates the things I see_

-Roll Away Your Stone; Mumford and Sons

**Draco POV:**

Draco was sitting on a greek-style, marble bench in his mother's favorite rose garden. Summer was almost ended and so the flowers were all at the end of their bloom. Magnificent colors were all that Draco could see, pink, orange, red, white, and his favorite, ivory. Draco plucked a small ivory rose bud from one of the bushes and twirled it between his fingers, the feel of the silky petals helped sooth his inner turmoil. He was contemplating the constellation Cepheus, when he felt someone sit down by him. He didn't look away from the clear sky but he could smell Astoria's perfume, lilac and honey with a hint of mint. Inhaling deeply he closed his eyes and took comfort in her familiar scent.

"It's a beautiful night," Astoria commented. Draco caught a shred of wonder and appreciation in her voice.

"Mmm, I suppose," Draco opened his eyes and found Astoria staring at him in confusion. Her eyebrows were knitted together and her mouth was turned down in a slight frown.

"It _is_! There isn't a cloud in sight and you can see all of the constellations. All of the roses are in full bloom, they smell wonderful!"

"I wasn't talking about the scenery," Draco sneered. He clenched his hands into fists and futilely tried to keep his emotions in check. The initiation ceremony had shaken him more than he cared to admit and he could feel the guilt burning his arm.

"What are you talking about, then?" She sneered back at him.

"The… Events that took place today," He subconsciously grabbed his left arm and rubbed the painful spot on his forearm.

"What are you talking about? Don't you feel honored and elated?" When Draco didn't respond, Astoria dropped the topic; she wasn't one to be pushy. "Are you going to join the festivities?" Astoria motioned to the brightly lit ballroom inside. Everyone was talking and laughing gaily, huge smiles plastered on their faces. Draco looked for his parents and found them smiling and nodding to everyone who came congratulate them. He knew that his father's smile was genuine, his mother's was not. Only a few people knew that Narcissa wasn't a full Death Eater, they just assumed that she was because of her husband's standing in Voldemort's inner circle. Draco was one of the few that knew of her true standing. She was an honorary Death Eater; she had begged Voldemort to not make her take the Dark Mark in order for her to be accepted in society. She made the excuse that if at least one of her family wasn't a "true" Death Eater, then the Malfoy name would be safer and so they could serve him even better.

Astoria saw him looking at his parents and bit her lip to keep from inhaling too sharply. The only person in the grand ballroom that she could regard as a guardian was Bellatrix, and while Miss Bella had been a wonderful guardian, she couldn't take the place of Astoria's parents. She could almost imagine them laughing along with all of the other purebloods in the room. She could picture in her mind's eye, her parents dancing to a waltz. If she tried hard enough, she could almost see her older sister, Daphne, as she would look today, giddy with excitement for Astoria and bursting with happiness.

"Your mother looks unhappy," Astoria whispered, coming out of her dream. "Isn't she happy for you?"

"I don't know, Astoria. She may just be in shock," Even though Astoria had lived with them for three years, the Malfoys had never been inclined to tell her of Narcissa's current standings with the Dark Lord.

"Oh look, there's Blaise. I didn't know that he would be here tonight."

"Nor did I," Draco replied. He took in the appearance of his best mate. Although he looked to be the picture perfect pureblood, Draco could tell that he was jealous. Jealous of the fact that his two best friends had been initiated before him and that he wouldn't be given the honor until after he had graduated from Hogwarts. As Draco watched, Blaise pulled off a string from his dress robes and glared around moodily until he found a young woman who was wearing an atrociously tight dress sitting at a small table. Blaise sauntered over to her and began to engage her in, what she must have thought was, friendly conversation.

"Would you like to go talk to him? I'm sure that he misses us. Well, mainly you."

"I'm sure he does, but I'm not really in the mood to put up with his so called 'witty' banter at the moment."

Astoria looked exasperated at Draco. Everything that asked him to do, he shot down. She could tell that he was unhappy about something, but she had no idea what. She felt that maybe it was because of the torture earlier in the day.

"Draco, I'm sorry, I was-"

"Do you see that, Astoria?" Draco didn't seem to even have heard her apology. "I think, I think it's an owl."

"An owl?"

"Yes, see there," He pointed to the dark sky and sure enough, a white snowy owl was flying determinedly towards the pair.

"Is that… Is that Harry Potter's owl?" Astoria's voice was filled with shock and contempt.

Draco just ignored her and stood up to retrieve the letter attached to the owl's leg. The owl, supposedly Harry Potter's owl, landed on a large white fountain and began to drink some of the water, as if it had flown a long way. Draco gently untied the letter and then the owl took flight again, silhouetted white against the dark, ebony night.

"Who is it from, Draco? Draco?" Astoria came up beside him and looked over his shoulder. His hands were shaking slightly and the parchment was beginning to crumple in his iron-clad grip. He suddenly held the letter out to her and she gently took it from him. Draco had already memorized the writing on the parchment.

_Dear Draco Malfoy,_

_We have become aware that earlier today you were initiated into the ranks of Voldemort's Death Eaters. We send our condolences. We would also like to offer you an opportunity that we feel you would take up with pleasure. To our knowledge, you have not been too keen on serving Voldemort and we understand this. As it is our duty to defy Voldemort's plan of purification of the wizarding society, we would be very pleased if you would join our cause. We also understand that because of your name and family's status in this world, you may not be able to help us. If not, we completely understand and we will not bother you again. Our original offer is that, if you so choose, you will be able to join _our_ ranks and work on a mission that could ultimately be the deciding factor on whether Voldemort falls. Because of the importance of this mission, we cannot give you any details on what it is unless you reply to us that you will help and give your full allegiance to us. Please reply to this as quickly as possible. For safety concerns, we would appreciate if you sent your letter to The Burrow and address it to Fred Weasley. _

_Thank you, Mr. Malfoy_

_Sincerely,_

_Remus Lupin, the Order of the Pheonix_

Draco heard Astoria gasp and knew that she had finally understood why he had been so morose throughout the evening.

"Y-you, don't want to serve the Dark Lord?" She whispered to him.

Rather than trusting himself to respond politely, he just nodded and stared out at the sky again.

"How could you, you ungrateful bastard!" She hissed.

Draco simply stared out at the Leo constellation. He would have rather had her scream and yell at him, not this hateful quietness. After a few moments he heard her dress swish and listened as she angrily stalked away. For a couple seconds he just stood there, but then he heard a slight pop and looked down to see Cepheus standing next to him.

"If you require any-zing, Monsieur Malfoy, I vill be 'appy to 'elp."

"Thank you, Cepheus. But I would prefer to be alone right now. Maybe later,"

Cepheus nodded once and then looked at him closely, "Vous êtes un homme bon, peu importe ce que dit."

"Merci, Cepheus, merci."

**A/N:**

**Bwahahaha! :)**

**Please review! You'll have to figure out what Cepheus said for youself.**

**Also, the "any-zing" is supposed to be "anything"**

**OnlyPureBlood, over and out :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: Everything is JK Rowling's, the plot is mine.**

_And it kicks so hard, it breaks your bones__  
><em>

_Cuts so deep, it hits your soul__  
><em>

_Tears your skin, and makes your blood flow__  
><em>

_It's better that you know that love is hard_

_-Love is Hard; James Morrison_

**Astoria POV:**

Astoria watched from the bottom of the grand staircase as Draco wandered into the entrance hall, his black Oxfords clicking against the hard, pearlescent marble. She pulled her knees closer to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Unwillingly, she felt her heart go out to him. When he looked towards her eyes, she ducked her head and let her golden locks cover her burning cheeks. She felt his presence near her and peeked through her lashes to see him standing by her side. He held out his hand slightly, as if to touch her shoulder, but then he withdrew it and shook his head.

"Draco," Astoria began. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I just can't believe that you would give up this opportunity."

"It isn't an opportunity, Astoria, it's a trap. A cage. I feel like I'm trapped in a spider's web. I'm the moth, He is the spider." He gazed down at her and the pain in his eyes shone through their silvery depths.

"No, Draco. You don't know what you're talking about."

The pain in his eyes instantly turned to rage, Astoria was shocked by the pure malice that he directed at her.

"_I _don't know what I'm talking about? You're the one that has been so brain-washed by this rubbish that you can't see things clearly. Were you even listening to what he was saying in there? Do you even understand what we just pledged our lives to? You're such a daft dimbo!"

Suddenly, Astoria felt the smooth skin of his cheek on the flat of her hand and heard a sharp crack accompanied with a stinging pain in her palm. She stared at her hand in surprise for a moment. Draco's cheek was already turning a nasty shade of red from the slap that she had just delivered him. His eye widened in surprise and then his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, which she still held in the air.

"Let go of me!" She shouted at him. It seemed as if all of his previous anger and resentment leaked out of him because his hand went limp and he lowered his eyes from hers. Astoria waited for him to say something, she waited for the apology that she thought she deserved but it didn't come. Instead, he just turned away from her and walked up the staircase, his head hanging down.

"Draco! _DRACO_!" She screeched his name but he didn't even acknowledge her. "_DRACO MALFOY_!" Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and she quickly wiped them away with the back of her pale hand. She grabbed onto the staircase's banister and hauled herself to her feet. As soon as she regained her balance, she was sprinting up the stairs as fast as she could, tears finally streaming down her face. As she reached the top step, she glimpsed Draco's figure turning the corner, not looking back once. Tearing down the hall, she stumbled and fell to her hands and knees, choking on her breath. She squeezed her eyes shut and then kicked off her heels. Discarding the costly pumps, she pushed herself to her feet and began to dash after Draco once more. When she careened around the corner she skidded to a stop, Draco was standing in the middle of the hall, his back turned to her. He was running his hands through his now messed hair, over and over again. Astoria quietly crept up to his side and lightly touched his shoulder. He jumped and turned to glower at her.

"Draco, please just listen to me-"

"No, Astoria. You listen to me, I've already made a decision and nothing you can do will change that. You're my best friend and I thought that you would understand, but now I get that I'm in this alone. So, please, just leave me alone. I don't need you to try and convince me to 'see reason'. Just leave."

"Draco, y-you don't mean that. Please, Draco, please," she pleaded with him but he just gently lifted her hand off of his shoulder and softly kissed it.

"I'm sorry, Astoria. But if I'm to accomplish whatever task they ask of me, I can't be hanging around someone who could give me away at any moment."

"Please, Draco," she whispered. His gray eyes met her green once more and then he was gone. Astoria sank to the floor and tears flooded her eyes again. _He can't be gone! It's preposterous, we're best friends, and he would never leave me, _she thought to herself, but she knew that he wasn't coming back, so long as she was still serving Voldemort freely. The swish of robes abruptly brought Astoria's thoughts to the present and she glanced up, hoping to see Draco but rather finding Miss Bella strutting quickly towards her. Her eyebrows pulled together and her face filled with concern as she took in Astoria's blotchy, tear stained features.

"What is the matter, my darling?" Bellatrix exclaimed at Astoria's disheveled appearance.

"He left, he just l-left," and she promptly burst into tears once more.

"Draco? I just saw him walking towards his room, he hasn't left. He was muttering something about replying. I'm sure that he's still up if he was writing a letter, go talk to him if you're so upset."

"I don't know-"

"Yes you do know, come on, get up. Remember, you're a Greengrass, you are strong."

Bellatrix waited for Astoria to rise to her feet and then gave her a slight push in the direction of Draco's chambers. With one small glance back at her guardian, Astoria began her trek to Draco. She started off in what she hoped looked like a confident manner but as soon as Miss Bella left, she was dragging her feet and leaning against the wall for support. _I can do this_.

* * *

><p>Astoria stood outside of Draco's door, staring fiercely at the ivory paint and gold-inlaid trim. <em>Here goes nothing<em>, she thought to herself. Just as she reached for the doorknob, the door was flung open and Draco stood before her, his eyes wide and bright and his hair mussed up.

"What do you want?" His eyes quickly became guarded and the corners of his lips turned down slightly.

"I'm sorry, Draco."

"I don't need your sympathy, Greengrass," and he proceeded to shut the door in her face.

She had finally had enough of his unruly temper and so she, in turn, threw open his door and stalked into his room, as if it was her own.

"I do not appreciate your tone of voice, _Malfoy_." She sneered his last name, her upper lip pulling up in disgust.

"If you're just here to argue, please go away." He didn't look at her; he walked over to an elegant liquor cabinet and poured firewhiskey into a crystal tumbler.

"I'm not here to argue, I'm here to… to apologize."

"Apologize, right." He scoffed and then poured his entire drink down his throat in one quick movement. Astoria walked across the room and grabbed her own glass, then filled his back up with the amber liquid.

"I'm trying to be serious, Draco! I was in shock and I couldn't believe that you would actually contemplate something as absurd as helping the _Order of the Phoenix_." She whispered the name and then glanced over her shoulder, as if Voldemort was standing right behind them.

"It isn't absurd, Astoria. Why can't you see that? I'm not my father! I do not believe in killing every single mudblood and pureblood that exists just so we can have a so-called 'pure' wizarding society. No matter how great as that seems, it isn't logical. And do you even understand what we are going to have to do? We as in you and me. He's going to make us kill innocent witches and wizards just because of some insane notion. How can you not understand that? How can you not be disgusted by that! How?"

"I, Draco, I… I don't know. I guess I never actually thought about what giving my service entailed. I was brought up by Miss Bella and she's practically in love with him!"

"So what, Astoria? I was raised by _Lucius Malfoy; _my father is practically Voldemort's right hand man."

"That's different-"

"How?"

"That seems to be the question of the night. How about this? How could you so willingly pledge yourself to the Order when you're so disgusted by the Dark Lord's regime? They're just like him, only they're supposedly the 'good guys.' They're going to kill others also. They're going to kill all of us, and if they don't then they're going to capture us so we can be sent to Azkaban. So tell me this, how can you willingly walk away from one cage and right into another?"

"Because what they work for is the good of all of witches and wizards in the world. That is not was Voldemort is for."

"It isn't any different, Draco. What if your assignment is to kill one of us? What if it's to kill your father? Or mother? Or me?" Even as she said it, Astoria was beginning to rethink her words. She could feel Draco's reasoning taking hold in her mind. She was beginning to waver in her resolve.

"I would never hurt you."

"You already have."

"No, I'm just trying to protect you."

"What if I don't want to be protected? I can take care of myself!" She cried out at him. Instead of answering, Draco just threw back another shot of firewhiskey. Astoria had barely taken a sip of her own drink and so she did the same. The liquor slid down her throat, leaving a slight burning sensation and a buzzing in her head. She held her hand to her head and closed her eyes, willing the oncoming ache to leave.

Astoria felt a slight depression in the cushion that she had ended up on and she turned to find Draco sitting next to her on the chaise lounge. He turned his body towards her and tucked one leg underneath himself while the other hung of the edge.

"I have another reason for doing this," He told her in a low voice. "See, there's this girl, she's my best friend and if anything happened to her, I would go crazy. Earlier today, I had to torture this girl so I could prove my loyalty to this one crazy bloke. It nearly killed me; I could feel my heart splitting down the middle as this girl screamed because of the pain that I was causing her. If anyone else did that to her, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from hunting them down and killing them with my bare hands. That's why I can't help Voldemort."

Astoria looked up at him and a small smile flitted across her lips.

"I don't know what to say-"

"Don't say anything. I just want you to know that that is why I can't be working for him. Okay?"

Astoria nodded her head, still softly grinning.

"You know, you're my best friend too" She glanced up at him. He cracked a smile and put his arm around her thin body, pulling her flush to his side. He buried his face in her soft hair and breathed in the scent of lilacs.

"I know."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

**So… Did you like it? It took me some time to get this chapter fully written. I kept adding to and then erasing their arguments. I guess they're okay, now. I also realize that Astoria doesn't seem very… Astoria-ish. She's kind of whiny and desperate. But think about it from her point of view, yeah? :)**

**Uh, so I'm going to sound super whiny right here but… I haven't gotten a single review in two chapters. I know that it's really hard to click that little review button and write something nice (or mean) but it really means the world to me :) **

**It also gives me an idea on whether people are actually reading my story. I mean, what's the point of writing something that other people aren't even going to read? Well, other than the fact that I love to write. But disregard that! I just want to know if you're out there :)**

**Just a bit of a teaser, if enough reviews come through my little email inbox then Draco and Astoria will probably share their first kiss in the next few chapters. Probably along the lines of chapter 7. So! Pretty please review with a cherry on top!**

**OnlyPureBlood, over and out :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Please read this! There is some heavy French in this chapter, so I would recommend that you either have Google translator open or you immediately scroll down to my ending A/N and read the translation there. You'll probably be a bit confused if you don't. If you speak French… nevermind.**

**DISCLAIMER: JK Rowling own Harry Potter. The plot is mine, nothing else.**

_I hope that you see right through my walls__  
><em>

_I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling__  
><em>

_I'll never let a love get so close__  
><em>

_You put your arms around me and I'm home_

_-Arms; Christina Perri_

**Draco POV:**

Draco gazed down at Astoria's sleeping form and watched as she curled up into a small ball in the corner of the lounge. Draco conjured a soft, silver blanket and draped it over Astoria's body before tucking it around her shoulders.

He heard the hoot of an owl and his thoughts drifted back to the letter that he had received earlier. Sliding into the chair in front of his mahogany desk, he arranged many pieces of parchment, a small pot of ink, and a long, red quill in front of himself. Draco knew that he wanted to accept the task that the Order was offering to him, but his mind kept coming up with blanks as he pondered how to write his acceptance.

_Dear Fred Weasley…_

Draco quickly crumpled the parchment up, he was beginning too casually.

_Dear Mr. Fred Weasley…_

Once again, Draco crushed the parchment in his fist and smoothed out a new piece in front of him.

_Dear Mr. Weasley,_

_I would like to address the contents of the letter that I received earlier this evening. Regarding the assumption that I would not be able to assist your cause because of my family's standing, that is not the case. If I so choose, I could completely disconnect myself from the Malfoy family without even having to change my surname. By denying my inheritance, I would completely disown myself from our family and I would have no affiliation with them whatsoever, any longer. This can be done in a mere matter of days, so if this would help you further your cause, I would be more than happy to oblige. As for the matter of joining your ranks and taking on this task, I am pleased to accept your offer. _

_Sincerely,_

_Draco Lucius Malfoy_

As Draco read over the letter, he realized just how much he was giving up in order to help the Order. His family, his money, his belief system, his house, his entire life. As these doubts wormed their way into his mind, he found himself crumpling up yet another letter and tossing it in the rubbish bin. As soon as the wad of parchment hit the others, a sharp crack resounded through his room. Draco immediately grabbed his wand and whipped around, holding the thin piece hawthorn out in front of him.

"Zere is no need to be alarmed, Monsieur Malfoy," came the small voice of Cepheus. "Vill you lower your vand, s'il vous plaît?"

Slowly, Draco lowered his wand and slipped it into his trouser pocket.

"What brings you here unannounced, Cepheus? Scorpius?" Draco looked stared down at the small girl and boy who were smiling at him knowingly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Ve know zat you are rethinking your decision to help ze Order of ze Pheonix. Ve know zat it is not our place to criticize, but surely, Monsieur Malfoy, you cannot be serious," this was the first time that Draco had ever heard Scorpius talk and was surprised to find that his French accent was heavier than Cepheus'. He had assumed that they were brother and sister, but as he looked closer, he was astonished to find that they were holding hands.

"Are you two… married?"

"Oui. Now don't try to change ze subject, Monsieur Malfoy," the corners of Cepheus' lips turned down slightly before regaining their slight smirk.

"Ve know all about your situation, Monsieur Malfoy. Ve know zat you are in a difficult position. But if I may, I have some advice zat you may appreciate."

"I… I suppose that advice is what I need right now," Draco absentmindedly bit the inside of his cheek, as if embarrassed and confused.

Seemingly unaware of Draco's discomfort, Scorpius stepped forward slightly and took one of Draco's large hands in his own smaller two.

"Monsieur Malfoy, réfléchir à ce qui est important dans votre vie maintenant. Prenez votre décision sur cette base. Si c'était moi, je ferais tout ce que je suis capable de garder en toute sécurité Céphée de tout mal." (1) At this, Scorpius glanced over at the sleeping form of Astoria and then back at Draco. His bright blue eyes bore into Draco's grey and seemed to be pleading with him to accept the offer. Draco broke eye contact with the six hundred year old boy and turned his head to stare at Astoria unabashed.

"Merci, Scorpius. I appreciate your wisdom. I will take what you said into account. Now, I have quite a bit of thinking to do, I would prefer to do this thinking alone," he looked pointedly at the doorway and then pulled his hand out of Scorpius' grip.

"As you wish, Monsieur Malfoy," Scorpius and Cepheus gave Draco a small bow and then with another harsh crack, they dissaparated out of his room.

Left to his own thoughts, Draco sat at his desk, once again, and rubbed his palms into his eyes_. _His thoughts drifted back to how he would be leaving his entire life behind if he helped the Order. _What life, Draco? The one filled with animosity and hatred? _Draco took his hands away from his face and let his head drop onto the desk, resulting in a loud crash. He jerked his head up quickly to make sure that he hadn't woken Astoria and when he saw that he hadn't, he laid his head back down on the cool wood.

"_Accio firewhiskey_," Draco muttered. The glass bottle of Ogden's Fine Firewhiskey came shooting towards him and softly descended upon the hardwood desk. Rather than manually pouring the amber liquid, he flicked his wand at the bottle. It rose slightly and tipped to pour a large amount of liquor into his crystal tumbler. Snatching the glass off of the desk, he stood up and walked towards his door. Draco hesitated with his hand on the doorknob and after a moment's consideration, walked back to the desk to retrieve the decanter of firewhiskey. He nodded his head with approval and slipped out of the room into a dimly lit hallway. Before taking another step, Draco drained his glass and refilled it again.

* * *

><p>Draco stopped in front of a plain white door that had 'Guest' written on it in gold. He pushed the door open and softly stepped inside. Realizing that it was empty, Draco wandered about the room, peering into the frames of four photographs that were carefully arranged on the nightstand. In the darkness of the room, he couldn't quite make out the features of what appeared to be a boy and a girl hugging and smiling up at the camera.<p>

"_Lumos_," he whispered. When his wand lit up, the halo of light revealed that the photo was a portrait of himself and Astoria during the summer before their fifth year at Hogwarts. He remembered the day vividly.

"_Draco, wait up!" Astoria's bubbly laugh followed her plea as Draco sprinted away from her and into the forest behind Malfoy Manor. After running as fast as he could for about a minute, Draco slowed to a jog and turned his head behind him to taunt Astoria._

"_Can't keep up with me can you, Tori? Tori?" Draco's mirth turned to alarm as he realized that Astoria was no longer behind him. His eyes frantically searched the shady forest around him as his alarm quickly grew to near hysteria._ "_TORI! ASTORIA!" his cries grew louder and louder until the trees seemed to be reverberating with his baritone. _

"_Draco, stop crying like a little schoolgirl, I'm right behind you," Astoria's light voice reached Draco's ears and his shouts stopped abruptly. _

"_Tori," he whispered. His eyes clouded with concern as he grabbed her shoulders and looked her up and down, checking for damage._

"_Calm down, I'm not hurt," she shrugged out of his grip and began walking away from him._

"_Tori, where are you going?" he called out to her retreating figure._

"_I saw a stream near here and thought that I'd go for a swim."_

"_Oh," Draco stared after her for a fraction of a second before quickly jogging up to her side. "Sounds fun."_

"_Yes, I'm sure it will be," she glanced over at the boy walking next to her and when he caught her staring at him, quickly averted her gaze._

_When they reached the sparkling creek, Draco stopped to admire the spot that Astoria had found. The brook babbled along and disappeared into the tall trees of the green forest and sunlight filtered down through the branches to give the forest floor a slightly dappled appearance. The sunlight sparkled along the crystalline water. As he watched, a small rabbit hopped out from behind a flowering bush and, when it spotted the two young adults, quickly hopped away. Draco was pulled from his admiration by Astoria's tinkling laugh. He turned to see her wading into the small spring, clad only in her knickers and bra. Two spots of pink appeared on his cheeks and he quickly averted his gaze from the girl in front of him. _

"_Come on, Draco!" she seemed to have no issue with the fact that the majority of her clothing was lying just a few feet away from the bank. _

"_I rather think that I'll just… erh… go," he stumbled. _

"_Don't be a prat," she giggled. "It's fun! The fish tickle your feet," as she said this, her face contorted with discomfort and then she immediately burst out laughing. _

"_What?" Draco asked, alarm quickly becoming apparent on his features._

"_I think a frog just swam across my foot," she smiled at his horrified expression._

"_After that statement, I know that I'll be going," he had barely turned around when something slammed into his back. Stumbling forward a few steps, Draco barely had time to regain his lost breath before Astoria had turned him around and began pulling him towards the shimmering water, all the while unbuttoning his white, button-down shirt. When she was almost to the edge of the brook, he grabbed her wrists and pulled them away from his almost fully open shirt. _

"_No, Astoria. I really don't feel the compulsion to frolic like a small child in a freezing water," his strong hands began to do his buttons up and he turned away from her pouting face. "Especially when you're dressed like _that_," he turned to her once more and looked pointedly at her bare stomach. _

"_You're embarrassed?" her laughing tone was quickly replaced by one of complete disbelief. "That's all this is about? You're embarrassed to go swimming with me? You, the confident, arrogant, proud, brave, strong, smart, witty, Draco Malfoy are embarrassed to go swimming with a girl that you've known since nappies? You're pathetic."_

_Draco spun around, his face set in a cold rage. "Don't _ever _call me pathetic," with that he quickly unbuttoned his shirt and tugged it off, leaving it in a heap on the dirt. He then proceeded to unfasten his belt and pull off his black trousers. With a flick of his wand, his briefs were transfigured into a suitable pair of swimming trunks. Astoria's outraged expression had turned into one of smugness as she watched Draco. _

"_Come on," he growled at her. When she just smirked at him, Draco grabbed her upper arm and pulled her towards the clear water. _

_Two hours later, the teens appeared back at the manor, exhausted yet mirthful. _

"_I'll be right back, I need to change," Astoria gestured to her sopping clothes that were clinging to her slim body. Draco nodded and also headed towards the manor's entrance. After he had changed into a pair of khaki slacks and a navy blue button down shirt, he made his way back outside. As he walked, he rolled up his sleeves to his elbow and fastened on a black, leather belt. Supper wasn't quite ready so when they rejoined they wandered over to one of Draco's mother's gardens and sat down on a swinging bench beneath a white dogwood tree. While Astoria was trying to persuade some little birds to hop into her hand, Draco took the opportunity to look at her. Her blonde hair was slightly damp and hung to one side of her head. She was clad in a plain white lace sundress that hung to her mid-thigh. She looked up at him and smiled slightly, her emerald eyes twinkling. _

"_What?" she asked him._

"_Nothing," the corners of his mouth lifted slightly upwards and he looked towards the small yellow bird that Astoria had just been pursuing. It cocked its head curiously at him and hopped forward a few feet. Draco lowered his hand to the stone ground and the little bird hopped the last couple inches into his outstretched palm. He slowly raised his hand and turned towards Astoria who was looking at him with joy. He took one of her hands in his own and carefully helped the bird into her fingers. She cupped the bird in her palms and looked up at Draco, her eyes shining with excitement. At that moment, Narcissa Malfoy briskly stepped out into the garden and called for Draco and Astoria to come inside for supper. The bird took flight and Astoria watched it fly away with disappointment. _

"_We'll be right there, Mother," Draco replied to his mother. She smiled at the pair and then snapped her fingers. A short, stalky house elf appeared by her side and looked up at her expectantly. _

"_Lovey, please get the camera, I miss having pictures of my handsome son and Miss Greengrass."_

"_Yes, mistress, Lovey will be right back, mistress," the elf squeaked and then disappeared, returning only seconds later with a large, wizarding camera. _

"_Come along, children, we cannot keep Draco's father waiting. Lovey, you take pictures of the children when you think it's an opportune moment."_

"_Yes, mistress."_

_As Draco and Astoria followed Draco's mother up the steps towards the manor, the sunlight broke through the gathering clouds and shone down on the two. Quite suddenly, Astoria threw her arms around Draco's neck and pulled him close to her. He responded by wrapping his own arms around her waist and breathing in the scent of her perfume. She looked up and smiled at him and then, without letting go of her hold on him, turned to Lovey, who was snapping pictures of them. She began laughing and Draco joined in with infectious giggle. He pulled her body flush with his and wished that he could spend the rest of his life like this; without a care in the world and with her._

As Draco pulled himself out of his memory, he gazed down at the other pictures. They were all of himself and Astoria. He looked back to the frame he held in his hands and a soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips. In that moment he knew that he would do everything in his power to keep Astoria safe.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Uh… hi… *awkward laugh* it's been a while, yeah? Yeah…**

**Well… Sorry about not updating sooner. There has been a lot of unhappiness in my life lately. But we won't get into that, no one likes a whiny author. Anyways, this chapter took SO LONG to write. I seriously tried to write it every single day since I last updated. It never worked, I couldn't think of how to word anything and I just had no desire to write at all. But, I toughed it out, took some advice from a friend and made myself write. And so here we are!**

**BAH! So I kind of realized that whining about not getting reviews is lame sauce because not very many people even **_**read **_**Astoria/Draco. I've decided that as long as I'm happy with my story, then that's all that truly matters. I mean, do you think that Jo asked herself if people would like it if she killed Mad Eye? Or Fred? Or Tonks? Lupin? Sirius? DUMBLEDORE? COLIN CREEVEY? Yeah…. Anyways…**

**Also, I was thinking of putting links to pictures of the characters in my profile. I've seen some people do that, but if you would rather use your imagination, then just tell me! I posted the link to Astoria's lace dress in my profile if you want to check it out.**

**OnlyPureBlood, over and out :)**

**(1) **"_**Mr.**__**Malfoy,**__**think about**__**what's important**__**in your life**__**now.**__**Make your decision**__**on that basis.**__**If it were me**__**, I would do**__**everything**__**I can**__**to keep**__** Cepheus safe from harm."**_


	7. Chapter 7 ish

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. It's all JK Rowlings. **

**A/N: I realize that I haven't updated in a long while. So this is an excerpt of the upcoming chapter. I've been working really hard on the chapter, so that's why it's taking so long.**

* * *

><p>"I may have an affinity for alcohol in the mornings, but I thought you could do with something not as strong," he gestured to the tea and then sat in a chair opposite Astoria's. "So tell me, why on Earth did you come to me for advice?"<p>

"Well, I have this friend and he's doing something that I don't think he should be doing, because-"

"Draco."

"Uh, well yes, actually. It is Draco."

"He doesn't want to be a death eater, does he?"

Astoria stared at the man in front of her in astonishment.

"How… how did you know?"

"I could tell. I'm very observant, you know," he winked at her.

Astoria flushed a deep red and took a sip of her tea, rather than responding. Blaise chuckled and seemed content to sit in silence while Astoria struggled with what to say.

"So… what should I do?" she finally asked.

"Let him make his own decision. I've always considered all of this death eater business highly overrated, anyways."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yaaaay…? I won't ask you to review. I mean, you can if you want, but it's really just an excerpt.**


End file.
